Lamp-socket casing.



R. B. BENJAMIN.

LAMP SOCKET GASING. APPLICATION FILED MAR.1,1912.

1,108,678. Patented Aug.25,1914

/l) /WLW di?,

,To ail whom it may concern srafrns .manna onirica.

lilbl'e, 0E' .-GHI'ICGG, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN ELECTRIC @F CHIGAGG, ILLIN'0IS,A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Lamis-soenna casino.

Be it' known that i", REUBEN B. BENJA- .Mirn acitizen of the United States, residing atChicago, in the county of Cook and State of illinoishave invented new and useful improvements in Lamp-Socket Casings, of which-the following is a full, clear, concise, and' exact description, reference being to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specication.

My invention relates to lamp socket casings, and especially'pertains to the means 'for securing the cap and the shell together.

'As is well known, the casing of an `electric lamp socket usually consists of a shell which contains the contact and binding terminal supporting base, and a cap which is removably secured tothe shell and serves to protect the binding' terminals and complete the casing. Diiiculty has been experienced in producing a means for securing the cap to the shell, which will be sufficiently inexpensive to meet the commercial conditions, and which, at the same time, will be eicient and safe in use and convenient to handle when it is desired to assemble or take apart the casing.

' l/l/'ith these conditions in view, therefore, it is the object of my invention to impro-ve upon lamp socket casings in so far as the means for securing the cap to the shell is concerned.

Threev formsof socket casing, each of which embodies the main features of my invention, are described, by way of example in the following specification, and shown in the accoi'npanyin0A drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a socket casing constructed in accordance with my invention; 2 is a longitudinal section through the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan, the section being taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, looking in the directionl of the arrows; Fig. is a fragmentary View of part of the shell; F ig. 5 is a detail view of the latch; Fig. 6 is a plan of the shell of a modified form of socket casing constructed in accordance with my invention, the cap being 8 is a side elevation of the shell shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is aplan of the shell of another modied forni of socket casing constructed in accordancanith :my invention;

Specification of Letters Iatent.

llpplication filed March l., 1912. Serial No. 681,003.

had

rateateuaag. a5, iam.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the same; and

Fig. 11 is a section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 9, looking in the direction of the arrows, the cap being shown in place on the shell.

Referring first to Figs. 1-5 of the drawings: 10 designates the shell of the casing, and 11 designates the cap. The shell 10 is provided with two diametrically opposed latches 12, each of which 'consists of a vertically-arranged resilient metallic .strip riveted at itslower end, to the shell, within the same. The upper ends of theselatches are bent outward to form Atongues 13, which enter correspondingly shaped slots '14 formed in the shell 10 somewhat below the top edge thereof. The normal position of the latches 12 is that in which the tongues 13 do not extend through the slots 14 to an extent suicient for them to project beyond the outer surface of the shell 10; but the tongues'may be moved outward so that their ends project beyond the outer surface of the shell. This is effected b'y means of screws 15, which pass loosely through the shell and are threaded into the latches 12, these screws being located a. little below the tongues13. It will be seen that, by tightening the screws l5, the tongues 13 may be made to project outward beyond the surface of the shell. These tongues serve to secure the cap 11 in position. The cap 11 telescopes upon the shell 10, in the ordinary manner, and is formed with an inwardly concave annular bead 1G, located so that it will be in alinement with the tongues 13 when the cap is in position upon the shell 10. The cap is extended down beyond the bead 16 so as to form an annular flange 17, of such depth i thatl its lower edge will lie adjacent the screws 15, so thatthe flange 17 will bev clamped beneath the heads of these screws, when they are tightened. l

The device is used as follows, supposing the cap to be apart from the shell and the screws 15 to be loosened: The screws 15 b eing loose, the cap 11 may be readily placed upon the shell, so that the bead 16 will 11e over the tongues 13, and the flange 17 will lie beneath the heads of the screws 15. With the cap 11 in this position, if the screwsl be tightened, the result will be that the latches 12 will be pulled outward until the th'e screws have been thus tightened the ton ues 13, by reason of their engagement in t e bead 16, will etlectually prevent withn drawal of the cap. 1t will be seen. that in- 5 ward springing of the shell wall, which et*- erwis'e might result in the tongues 13 coin-- ing out of therecess A16, is prevented by the clamping action of the screws 15.

The manner of using the device has been described, for convenience, as though the cap, ratherl than to place the cap over the socket. Particularly in the case ol' switch sockets, it is of' advantage that the casing be constructed so that the switch operating means may be made to extend in any desired 2o direction. .'1 his advantage is obtained by means or" my invention, since the shell 10 may be inserted in any desired angular position with relation to the cap 11, and becomes -secured in such position when, the screws 15l I are tightened. The casing, with the capsecuring means of my invention, is of simple and durable construction and maybe economically produced.

The modified form of casing shown in v{iO-Figs. 6, 7 and 8, diders from the form 40 parts.

as to pull the tongue 13 into the bead may be released by a hind or' tiltA the part adjacent the latch 12 coming away shown in' Figs.. 1-5, in that one o' the latches 12 is dispensed with, a pair et' out* Vwardly-punched projections 1S being employed instead, on the side of the shell op;-

35 ,posits that which bears the single latch which used. 'lhe projections 18 are formed so as to present beveled surfaces at their, upper parts and square surfaceswin the foi-1n shown, cut edges-at their lower In assembling the casing, the shell may be thrust up into the cap, the projections 18 being enabled, by virtue of their beveled upper surfaces, to snap into the bead 16. The screw 15 is then tightened up, so 1li and clamp the 'flange 1T the shell, in the marrer described above. lifhen the shell is to be removed. from the cap, the screw 15 is loosened, whereupon the shell action,

from the cap rst This forni of my tion has the advantages set out in connection with the form previously described. in the case of switch sockets, the projections 1S are preferably positioned away '.troi'n vthe slot through which the switch operating niembei emerges from the casing. This being the case, it would not be possible 'tc causo the metal of the shell to spring inwardly to, an

extent sufficient to permit the projections 18 to become disengaged from within the bead 16.

In the form oit' my invention shown Figs. 9, 10 and 11, a strip 19 is employed.

incense This strip issimilar in nature, and manner ot being eth1-red, to the latches 12 described above, but it has no outwardly projecting tongue. The strip is placed adjacent the hey slot 2O of the shell, and carries a screw i, similar to the screws used in the modifications described above. the strip 19 and its clamping screw21, is a projection 22. of a nature similar to that of the projections 18 of the form of shell described with reference to Figs. (38, the projection 22 being, however, placed close to the lrey slot 20. 1n addition to the projection 22, a pair of similar projections 28, placed on the side of the shell opposite to' the projection 22, are provided. The cap is of the same construction as that described in dealing with the forms shown in the previous figures. the casing may be assembled by merely pushing the shell up into the cap, the projections 22, 23,' 23 snapping into the bead 16. The screw 21 is then tightened, the flange 17 of the cap being thus clampedi. between the shell and the head of the screw, and it being thus rendered impossible to cause the posi' tion of the shell adjacent the key slot 20 to spring inward andthusv releasethe projection 22 from its engagement within the bead 16 of the shell. When the shell is to be removed 'from the cap, the screw 21 is loosened, whereupon, by thumb pressure or otherwise, the metal of the shell may be caused. to spring inward and thus release the projection 22 from its engagement within the bead 16. rThe shell may then be removed from the cap by a kind of tilting action, the side which carries the projection coming away rst. This form of my invention also has the advantages set forth in connection with the other forms, described above. j

`While 1 have described and shown three of the constructions in which my invention may be embodied, t ese are not the only embodiment-s of theinvention, which may take other forms than those described and showin-what 1 claim being: i

1. 1n a socliet casing, the combination with a cap having an internal shoulder, of a shell having a projection adapted to engage said shoulder thereby to prevent longitudinal withdrawal of the shell 'from the cap, said projection being movable inwardly out of engagement with said shoulder, and releasable means lor preventing inward ii'iovenient of said projection.

2. ln a soc-tiet casing, the combination with a cap having an inwardly concave circular bead adj acont its lower edge, of a shell having a projection adapted to engage iii said bead thereby to prevent longitudinal withdrawal oi" the shell from the cap, said projection being1 movable inwardly nout ot' engagement with said bead, and releasable Cooperating with The screws 21 beingloosened, l

mesme means `for 4preventing inward movement of sald projection. l

' 3.. In a socket casing, the combination vwith a cap having an internal shoulder of a shell adapted to telescope, at its upper end, into said cap, a projection carried by said shell and adapted to engage said shoulder to prevent withdrawal of said shell, and a clamping screw carried by said shell and engaging said cap to clamp the latter against said shell soas to prevent angular moveu ment of the shell relatively to the cap.

l. ln a socket casing, the combination with a cap having an inwardly concave circular bead adjacent its lower edge, of a shell having a projection adapted to engage in said bead thereby to prevent longitudinal withdrawal of the shell from the capysaid projection being movable inwardly ont of I engagement with said bead, and releasable means for preventing inward movement of said rojection, Iand also servmg to prevent angu ar movement of said shell relativelyy tosaid cap.

5. lln a socket casing, the combination with a cap having an internal shoulder, of a'shell, a projection carried by.y said shell vent angular movement of said shell relatively to said cap.

' 6. In a socket casing, the combination with a cap, of a shell telescopically engaging said cap, snap fastening means connectingl the cap and shell, and means for positively holding said fastening meansfin engaged position.

'Z'. in a socket casing, the combination with a cap, of a tubular shell telescopicallyY engaging said cap, means movable inwardly and outwardly with respect to said shell for detachably connecting the cap and shell, and means for positively holding said connecting means in connecting osit'ion.

In witness whereof, I ave lhereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

` REUBEN B. BENJAMIN.

Witnesses:

Manna REYNOLDS, C. E. KANE. 

